Ursina's Shelf - Insightful Pulitzers
Issue 78
Dear readers,
Wow, it’s already February and what a ride this year has already been.
My company Precious Sound launched its first products—silver and gold Third Eye Blind records and a limited edition Beatles Stabilizer Set—and I was interviewed on Moncole radio! (Link here)
Thankfully walks with Enzo, long car rides, and some air travel have allowed me to listen to some wonderful books despite this extraordinarily busy season.
Today, I’d like to share three Pulitzer winners that I learned a lot from, continuing the series from early last year: Pulitzers Part I and Pulitzers Part II.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (2020)
Description: A local Ojibwe councilor works as a night watchman at a jewel-bearing plant, while also putting together an opposition to the proposal to strip the local tribes of their tribal status and hence sovereignty. We follow Thomas, Pixie, who also works at the factory, and several other community members over the course of a few months as they search for family members, fall in love, and fight for their culture.
My take: Last year, Louise Erdrich has become a repeat author for me and my expectations for this book were high. The historical fiction story is inspired by letters from her grandfather, opening my eyes to another dark chapter in American history. I always revel in a clever connection of the title to the story too, and all I’ll say is it turns out to be much more than the obvious one. And if you like audio books, this one is author read (Buy here)
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022)
Description: This retelling of David Copperfield set in the poverty-ridden mountains of western Virginia follows a young foster child’s youth and adolescence in a community that has its odds stacked against it. It’s a roller coaster of ups and downs as he faces hardships and encounters everything from kindness to hatred.
My take: Albeit long, Kingsolver (my OG repeat author) tells a story that brings to life the Appalachian community, its culture, and its recent plight with fentanyl. It is heart-wrenching but also personalizes a struggle that is otherwise often described in well-researched but somewhat clinical newspaper articles, exposés, and statistics. (Buy here)
The Talk by Darrin Bell (2023)
Description: Darrin Bell is the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. This graphic novel retells the author’s experience growing up black in America and spans from the talk his mother gave him on why a black boy cannot play with a toy gun in public to the police violence and killings in recent years.
My take: This book’s messages are engaging, both through its words and illustrations, and the personal nature results in a captivating story. The format makes the difficult revelations of the book more meaningful. Thanks to Alex for gifting this to me for Christmas. (Buy here)
Ursina is currently reading: Die Enkelin by Bernhard Schlink, who is known for The Reader and which will appear in English under the title The Granddaughter this year.
I hope you all have a great week end and maybe you can sneak in a moment of reading here or there.
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